A64 - 4xDIMMS - 2T - No performace loss?

[Cyprio]

Calling to all you knowledgeable guys here.

I am currently speccing up a new system based around a SD core A64. I am an avid gamer and what with BF2 coming out soon and possibly requiring 2 gig of RAM i am looking at the best way to go about this.

Numerous review sites say that running 4xDIMMS @ 2T rate kills performance.
However reading this thread at Anantech has made me think twice. There are loads of posts there by guys running 2x512 at 2T with little drop in performance at all. However is 4x512 a diff. matter? Any ideas?

The alternative to 4x512 is 2x1024 at lower timings...

What should i go for?

[terror_adagio]

The difference between 1T and 2T is by far not dramatic. Actually, there is little real-world difference.

There was a great write up with benchmarks from users at Anandtech's forums that showed very little performance difference in actual use.

EDIT: I should have read your post more clearly, as you pointed out the very same article.

1T vs 2T was just a big marketing ploy. Its definitely not as dramatic as AMD or its chip makers would like you to think. And actually, there have been reports from some 4x512 users that they are running 1T fine. I think it depends really if the motherboard maker is going by proper AMD BIOS standards, which a lot don't..... hence the big Rev.E and X2 support fiasco we are in now with some mobo makers.

[dnottis]

Yea the drop in in Sandra - but from Winnie to venice I lost ~200 MB/sec in Sandra however my performance at the same speeds is the same if not a touch faster on the Venice. 2T will give you lower Sandra results but real world the difference is negligible.

Dean

[Cyprio]

Thanks guys.
Ill probably be going for the DFi ULTRA.
The reason i ask is that i have seen 512mb Twimoss Speed Premium 3200 BH-5 for £37 a DIMM over here in the UK. Bargain!

Having read this review of the 3500s i am well up for 4XDIMMS of this mem!

[Cyprio]

ps any idea where to buy 3500 speed premium in the US?

[Cyprio]

*BUMP* Any more views on this, now that its a more respectable time of the day?

[Mikesta]

Well it seems good that people can get 4 x 512MB @ 250 at 2T.

HOWEVER I am still disappointed that AMD's ondie memory controllers are still weakish.

I hope that the Socket M2 CPU's will be better but I'm guessing that the early versions won't move on very far from current day venice/SD's.

I eventually want a system (late 06 - 07 sometime) that will work with 4GB's at good timings say 4-2-2-x @ DDR2 800-1000. By then I hope that memory makers can get modules out that are that good (they probably will). I am afraid that AMD will drop the ball however.

Anyway, can some lucky and over resource'd (finacially and time) post comparisions between 2 x 512 1T and 4 x 512 2T? maybe some VX? or other quality UTT or some BH-5? Eventually the time will come when 1 GB is not enough especially with dual core round the corner.

[P_1]

the 4x interleaving that comes with 4x 512 might offset the performance loss from 2t, although there havent been any specific tests with 4x interleaving compared to 1t performance of 4x512.

[Wolf]

Mine runs fine for me. I haven't noticed any performance loss just butter smoothness from never running out of ram in games.

Performance is ok at 2t. I am hoping with an X2 cpu I can run these sticks at 1t but I will have to wait and see.

[ewitte]

There are several PC3200 1GB chips that run 2-2-2-5. You should be able to stay at 1T with two of those.

[Filter]

and BF2 really wont need 2gigs. only games i can think off top of my head that actually would use 2 gigs is world of warcraft and eq2.

[Dumo]

Heres @3.1V and 2T..tccd and utt :banana::banana::banana::banana:tail...No 1T with 2GB, cpc disable and bank interleaving on...

[Mikesta]

There are several PC3200 1GB chips that run 2-2-2-5. You should be able to stay at 1T with two of those.

BUT do any of them do it at 250 (DDR500)? or anything close and keep those type of timings?

[Mikesta]

DUMO ur a hero

Now get 4 x UTT and up the speed!

[LBJGH]

I thought the new venice and san diego core cpus could run 1T with all four banks populated. ??

[turtle]

I thought the new venice and san diego core cpus could run 1T with all four banks populated. ??

I think we all did...alas, they don't.

As for hitting 250 with 2GB's...Ballistix can do it, can't it? I know it's not tccd or utt...but if you're springing for more than 2x512, it might be something to consider. Their 1GB sticks clock pretty well from what i've seen.

I still personally think at this point in time peeps are better off with a good 2x512 kit that can hit high speeds over 2gb's that most likely won't, unless of course you are photo/video editting and playing a lot of MMORPG's.

It is of course possible BF2 may run better with it though...IIRC BF1 was one of the first games to choke unless you had a gig, so I wouldn't put it past it's successor to up the ante again.

[Cyprio]

I think we all did...alas, they don't.

As for hitting 250 with 2GB's...Ballistix can do it, can't it? I know it's not tccd or utt...but if you're springing for more than 2x512, it might be something to consider. Their 1GB sticks clock pretty well from what i've seen.

I still personally think at this point in time peeps are better off with a good 2x512 kit that can hit high speeds over 2gb's that most likely won't, unless of course you are photo/video editting and playing a lot of MMORPG's.

It is of course possible BF2 may run better with it though...IIRC BF1 was one of the first games to choke unless you had a gig, so I wouldn't put it past it's successor to up the ante again.

Thanks for the posts so far guys.

Yeah. The BF2 demo is out on Friday and many of the forum posts from play testers say that you need 2gig to run it at MAX. I will just wait and see i guess.

I have 2x512 ballistix 3200 now. Maybe ill just buy 2 more dimms for my next rig.

[wickedld9]

I did some 4x512MB UTT stability testing last night... here

My timings and clock are very modest, I'm building up slowly. I'd be happy if I could get it stable at 234x12 with the timings a little tighter but I'll have to get some water to keep the temps where I like them. Note in the screen shot that those are the highest temps I get.

I can tell a nice difference in anything HL2/CS:S related. Everything loads quite a bit faster.

[Cyprio]

I did some 4x512MB UTT stability testing last night... here

My timings and clock are very modest, I'm building up slowly. I'd be happy if I could get it stable at 234x12 with the timings a little tighter but I'll have to get some water to keep the temps where I like them. Note in the screen shot that those are the highest temps I get.

I can tell a nice difference in anything HL2/CS:S related. Everything loads quite a bit faster.

So that is 4x512 running at 2-2-2-6 2T?

[Lithan]

In my testing 2t vs 1t = ~1fps in doom3

[ewitte]

I wonder what kind of settings can be run off 4x1024MB corsair value select

[The K Man]

Cyprio;

I am in the same boat as you.

My second pair of OCZ VX DDR memory should be here tomorrow and my Sandy 4000+ will be in my hot little hands by the end of the week if the planets are all in sync. One big reason for the upgrade is for BF2. BF1942 needed a Gig of ram to make it run smooth, as least for me. BF2 might need 2GB to make it smooth like butter, but the extra ram can't hurt. Windows always seem to be memory hungry.

Currently I run my VX @ 2-2-2-5 1T 220fsb, so adding two more sticks will drop it to 2T for sure.

Curious as to the preformance hit people talk about I forced my mobo to run 2t and ran some benches. SiSoftware memory tests took the biggest hits running 2T. Games on the other hand resulted in little or no preformance hit, less than 3% drop in frame rates. Since my PC is for gaming, I went ahead and grab two more 512MB sticks vs the 2x1GB stick simply for the cost savings. I made the assumption that it would be no worst running (2x512@2T) vs (4x512@2T). I might be wrong, will have to wait and see.

I will let you know how I make out if everything comes in by the end of the week.

DFI NForce4 Ultra
OCZ PowerStream 520W
Winny 3500+ /w XP-90
OCZ VX 3200
74GB Raptor
ATI X850TX
Audigy 2zs

[amd3001]

Please post back here with your results testing games. I wanted to do the same thing for months but couldnt decide what to do.

[Cyprio]

Cyprio;

I am in the same boat as you.

My second pair of OCZ VX DDR memory should be here tomorrow and my Sandy 4000+ will be in my hot little hands by the end of the week if the planets are all in sync. One big reason for the upgrade is for BF2. BF1942 needed a Gig of ram to make it run smooth, as least for me. BF2 might need 2GB to make it smooth like butter, but the extra ram can't hurt. Windows always seem to be memory hungry.

Currently I run my VX @ 2-2-2-5 1T 220fsb, so adding two more sticks will drop it to 2T for sure.

Curious as to the preformance hit people talk about I forced my mobo to run 2t and ran some benches. SiSoftware memory tests took the biggest hits running 2T. Games on the other hand resulted in little or no preformance hit, less than 3% drop in frame rates. Since my PC is for gaming, I went ahead and grab two more 512MB sticks vs the 2x1GB stick simply for the cost savings. I made the assumption that it would be no worst running (2x512@2T) vs (4x512@2T). I might be wrong, will have to wait and see.

I will let you know how I make out if everything comes in by the end of the week.

DFI NForce4 Ultra
OCZ PowerStream 520W
Winny 3500+ /w XP-90
OCZ VX 3200
74GB Raptor
ATI X850TX
Audigy 2zs

Cheers m8, much appreciated.

BTW - BARGAIN if you live in the UK
Speed premium 3500 for £40 for 512mb.

http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/ki.asp?sku=308282&cks=PLC


I think i might get my credit card out...

[wickedld9]

Please post back here with your results testing games. I wanted to do the same thing for months but couldnt decide what to do.

I have the 4x512MB 2t testing done. I'll try to get the 2x512MB 1t done tonight. Here are the tests that I've run:

3Dmark01
3Dmark03
3Dmark05
Aquamark
Doom3 Timedemo1
Commanche 4
CS:S Video Stress Test
Everest R/W/Latency
WinRAR 20MB compression

Please comment if you'd like to see other tests and I'll see what I can do.